Full Breakdown
Allegations of Politically Motivated Targeting Within New York Attorney General’s Office
9/4/2026, 11:00:34 AM
Alleged Email Directing “Find and Pursue” Trump-Related Crimes
Assistant Attorney General Daniel Wiesenfeld, who works in the Investor Protection Bureau of the New York Office of the Attorney General, reportedly sent an agency-wide email instructing staff to “find and pursue crimes” involving President Donald Trump, his social-media platform Truth Social, and Hewlett Packard. The email, according to the Times Union, was later deleted from the office’s servers. Wiesenfeld alleged that Shamiso Maswoswe, who leads the bureau, directed the targeting without a credible basis.
Office Response and Internal Handling
The New York Attorney General’s office characterized the matter as a personnel issue. A statement from the office’s spokesperson, cited by Fox News, emphasized that the agency is committed to upholding New York law and protecting the rights of all residents regardless of political beliefs, and rejected claims of partisan targeting. General counsel Kumiki Gibson reportedly sent a follow-up email assuring employees that no one was “in danger.” The New York Post noted that Wiesenfeld was placed on paid administrative leave following the incident.
Background on Shamiso Maswoswe
Maswoswe joined Letitia James’s office in February 2022 after previously serving as a trial attorney in the Justice Department’s Public Integrity Section (January 2016 – December 2017). She filed a discrimination lawsuit against the DOJ in February 2021, alleging termination and bias based on her Zimbabwean descent, race, pregnancy, and caregiving responsibilities. The parties settled the lawsuit in 2023 for $795,000; the DOJ denied the allegations and described the settlement as a compromise of disputed claims, not an admission of wrongdoing.
Letitia James’s Ongoing Legal Actions Against Trump
Attorney General James has been a long-standing critic of Trump, launching a civil fraud lawsuit against him and the Trump Organization in 2022. The case initially resulted in penalties exceeding $450 million, though an appeals court later upheld Trump’s liability while voiding the financial penalty.
Political Reactions
White House spokesperson Lauren Bis described the alleged email and subsequent actions as evidence of “weaponization of the justice system” by James and “far-left Democrats lawfare” against Trump and his allies. The spokesperson’s comment reflects the administration’s view of the episode as politically motivated.
